


Traceur

by Val_Creative



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Humor, M/M, Parkour, Romance, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-04
Updated: 2012-10-04
Packaged: 2017-11-15 16:05:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Creative/pseuds/Val_Creative
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally enjoys running. The internet enjoys watching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Traceur

 

.

" _Hey folks! Another gorgeous and cloudless day of broadcasting my live feed._ " Wally grinned, smacking the sides of his face lightly as he announced, " _Right here in downtown. You ready_?"

" _And here we go…_ "

The gritty surface of concrete slapped in anticipation against the soles of his tennis shoes, as his heart galloped, as his feet barely felt like they met the nearby ridge of grass.

 

.

"Is that right?" M'gann's emerald green, pointer finger drifted over the computer screen and lingered under the username ' _Twist_ '.

Artemis nodded, sipping on her can of grape soda as she stared hard at the video-sharing website. "That's him. Do it," she said.

Cl-click.

The streaming video remained dark and silent for a few seconds before flicking into a flurry of movement — lush green park trees, empty swing sets — and music boomed from the speakers.

"Damn, he already started," Artemis complained, and reached to turn down the volume on her borrowed school laptop. Studying for the pre-chem exam could wait.

M'gann blushed guiltily but watched the video with fascination as the view of an oncoming slanted wall vanished when a pair of cargo shorts and pale, lightly freckled knees popped up.

"Ooh! He piked! Did you see that? Did you _SEE_ that?"

The glee in Artemis's voice did not change M'gann's uncertainty as she asked, "He did what?"

"It's like a dash vault."

M'gann's expression only deepened in confusion.

"Sorry, I forget you haven't been watching this as long as I have," Artemis muttered, gesturing with her soda can to the laptop screen. "This guy is doing something called _parkour_. It's basically running through obstacles in a city or in an abandoned neighborhood. It's all about _moving_ without having to stop, oh, and doing tricks if you are good enough."

"You do not know him?"

"Nope." Artemis said dismissively, "He never shows his face. Probably has massive scars or something."

A new voice behind them pointed out in the den, "He's the famous one, right?"

"I wouldn't really call him—" Artemis turned suddenly in her chair, staring up at Dick who smirked back at her, "Wait, _you_ watch, too?"

He shrugged furtively, grasping the back of her swivel chair. "Nice palm spin," he chuckled as the camera turned upside down and the focus was on the hooded boy's bare hands and street below.

"I know, right?" Artemis resisted the mild compulsion to shove Dick away as he hoisted himself closer to peer over her shoulder, adding, "I thought I saw him heading for a wall hop."

"These terms to describe what he is doing…" M'gann looked crestfallen to be out of the loop, coiling her fingers together. "They are many of them?"

"The lingo is pretty extensive. And _tensive_ if you try to remember everything without making an effort to study it."

Artemis twitched a little as his weight nudged her chair. "Need a chair?" she glowered.

Dick's smirk widened and his eyes narrowed in thought on the streaming video.

"I'm good here."

 

.

The aerodynamic drag from the jumps never lasted long — and all of his good guy training with Flash had prepared him for how to fall properly and without taking much impact. Doing _this_ on his free time, the running had been both a form of release and an exercise in conditioning himself. Doing this without using his powers made the experience more fulfilling in a way.

Wally could train _by his own rules_.

Not to say he wasn't tempted to cheat on occasion by speeding up to show off. Would blow his cover indefinitely though.

He rounded down another street, coming up to a graffiti-wall and making a quick, habitual arm jump before dropping down into an alley.

To mask the feedback from his eventual heavy breathing, from _parkour_ and free-running, Wally had to switch the communications in his goggles to a miniature built-in radio to pick up a synch rock station. Took a hell of a three-day weekend with the proto-type plus hours of losing earned rest trying to correct the screwy frequencies. He hoped the viewers didn't mind.

Seventeen minutes already passed. Good enough for today.

Wally swiped at the sweat gathering on his forehead with a wrist and he switched back on the voice audio. A soft, breathless gasp of a laugh.

" _And that's a_ —"

The rest of his sentence choked off as two meaty hands wrapped around his throat.

 

 

 

.

Artemis gaped at her laptop as a small band of male teenagers advanced towards the camera, the middle one holding out a pocketknife. "Shit… no…"

"Should we do something?" M'gann's brown eyes rounded out in concern.

When the other girl stood up in a hurry, placing down her drained soda can and the laptop on the nearby table, Dick grasped onto her shoulder calmly.

"Ease up, Arty," he said, overlooking the angry scowl. "Let's be a little more _traught_ , okay?" Dick tilted his head towards the laptop screen as one of the teenagers groaned out in pain at what looked like a powerful kick in the stomach. Another smirk mysteriously tugged the corners of his lips. "I don't… think he needs our help."

 

 

 

.

Wally got out of a headlock with several well-placed moves and decided to keep them _sloppy_ but _effective_ for street fighting; no use letting everyone know ' _Twist_ ' was some kind of crime fighter.

That being said… it _may_ have been unnecessary to crack his kneecap to one of his mugger's noses and splintered bone.

Eh, details.

Wally blocked a punch to his right ear and smoothly disarmed another mugger — with a pudgier face and a crescent-shaped mole under his left eye — who had pointed a red nozzle of OC spray at Wally. Now in possession of it, the speedster quickly puffed some into his attacker's face. "Remember, ladies and germs, always carry your pepper spray," he crowed out over the alarmed cries. "There's no guarantee for anyone's safety on the streets anymore, especially if you are alone. Check your nearest USA Bureau of Justice Statistics Reports website for more details."

Yeah, witty comebacks… the viewers would like that, wouldn't they?

Police sirens.

An Evergreen City cop car pulled up right besides the alley.

Wally waved brightly, innocently as one of the cops fingered his gun holster. "Hey, how's it going?"

"There's been a report of a mugging in progress."

"Past tense definitely applies to this situation, officers." He chuckled, as if unbothered, adjusting his goggles with care as the small and now defeated band of male teenagers weakly moaned and mumbled half-baked death threats at Wally's yellow tennis shoes. "Sheesh, next time I won't give everyone motion sickness when some young hooligans try to beat the crap out of me."

One of the cops examined him for a long moment and then gruffly jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Get gone, son."

Wally flashed another _innocent_ look as he swung his arms up a banister leading to a creaking fire escape. Hooking his legs over, he tilted his head backwards and gave the cops a two-finger salute.

"Don't need to tell me twice."

 

 

 

.

Artemis slowly sank back into her swivel chair.

"Well…" she blinked, opening her mouth, " _damn_."

"He is quite talented," M'gann said in a hushed voice, cupping her hands under her chin as she continued to focus on the further footage of the hooded boy climbing up the fire escape expertly.

Artemis declared with an eyebrow furrow, "He knows street fighting."

"Oh, Robin!" The Martian girl shifted to frown up at him, green fingers curled to her lips. "Do you know where Wally is? He said he would help me bake a cake for Conner's birthday."

Dick answered nonchalantly, "I had him run an errand."

"Shouldn't he be back already?"

"It's a _long_ errand."

"Bet he hates that," Artemis said with a pleased, impish appearance as she scooted her laptop back towards her and flicked her mouse to another tab on an open browser. M'gann made a disappointed noise before ' _oooo~oohing_ ' at another site clicked — "Livejournal" and into a community labeled "yj_anon_meme". (" _Megann, this is good for your Earth education. These are 'fangirls'_.")

"If KF gets into some trouble, I'm sure he can handle it," Dick called out to them as he walked out of the den. Best to just leave them to whatever they were doing.

Besides…

Eighty seconds later, a streak of dirtied khaki from cargo shorts and sweat-shined, red hair appeared towards the elevators. Dick nodded.

"How was the state of Washington?"

"Wasn't raining," Wally commented, sending Dick a grateful look and knocking his fist to the younger boy's arm playfully. "Thanks for this, bro. I just needed to get _out_."

"Megann wants you to help with the birthday cake." Dick giggled when the speedster slapped a hand over his face, grimacing. "You owe me, Mister Famous."

Wally's freckles on his cheeks darkened to already flush skin.

"…You name it," he murmured.

"Video games. Our game room. You know the code to get in." Dick's tongue stuck out. "Man, seriously, you better take a shower first or I'm not sitting on the couch with you. You reek."

A sly grin formed over Wally's mouth.

"Baby~, don't deny my pheromones." Wally stepped closer to him, getting his arm around the younger who mock-gagged when Wally lifted am armpit towards him. "Get a good whiff of it."

"I'm going to puke _all_ over your shirt, KF. You want that?"

More giggles erupted from Dick's lips as he finally shoved the speedster away. Wally radiated _heat_. The Cave maintained some pretty decent air-conditioned rooms despite how hot this July had been, and though body heat was reasonably uncomfortable, it was _familiar_. A good and secure kind of familiar. Maybe… he was thinking too deeply about it.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

"Cover your ass, dude. The enemy can jump you from the barricades. You are so _domitable_ that it's pathetic."

Wally swatted Dick's hand floating over him as _Gears of War 2_ blared at them, and shushed. "I've got this, okay? We'll get back on multi-player mode as soon as I find this sucker."

The younger boy sighed at him, rolling his eyes, and murmured around the straw to his chocolate milk, "Did you get to check out your last video's ratings?"

"Highest in a month and for under twenty-four hours. Knew they'd love it." Wally squinted at the fuzzy quality of their television, swinging his controller upwards as he pounded buttons. He shook it frustrated when the accursed " _Crimson Orb_ " blinked at him. "Should have run-ins with muggers more often. People eat this stuff up."

Dick snorted, poking his feet underneath himself on the couch cushion. "You seemed like you knew you were doing anyway…"

Wally's eyes peered at him from their corners both suspiciously and genuinely _curious_.

"…Were you watching the broadcast or somethin'?"

Dick told him offhandedly, eyeing him back, sunglasses already long discarded on the floor, "With Artemis and Megann."

"I didn't know you watched them."

"They're not boring."

Wally growled in his throat when his player hit the downed state, starting to crawl on-screen for aid from fellow comrades, and he chucked away his game controller. Dick didn't react immediately and rather let the following events manifest when he felt Wally's hand paw the front of his black hoodie, and Wally's _hot_ breath lower to his ear. "You're not boring either."

Dick _had_ to laugh, even with the cramped and satisfying press of their lips, with the gratifying and _whelming_ scent of Wally's shampooed skin. "That's a great come-on line."

"Bite me, _Dick_ ," Wally muttered darkly against his mouth.

Fingers scrambled to tighten on the back of Dick's neck and he moaned when Dick's teeth clamped shockingly _hard_ on his bottom lip.

"You said it, not me."

"So… uh…" Wally said with a semi-glare, pulling away, and the glare melted away when Dick's hand fell over his knee, "…you know when we are gonna stop pretending that we don't really come up here to play video games on this shitty TV and instead use the privacy as an excuse to make out?"

Dick licked the ridge of his palate, making a musing _hm_.

"Whenever you feel like having everyone rub it in your face with ' _I-told-you-so_ ' then… sure, I'm game."

Dick's close-lipped grin split apart to expose his teeth when Wally crinkled his expression with dread, nudging their shoulders, and fiddling with Dick's controller.

"… …You know, I kinda like the privacy thing right now."

"Thought you would."

 

 

 

.

**Author's Note:**

> Traceur: Someone who practices parkour, translated from French to trace "one who traces" or trail "one who escapes without a trace".
> 
> Parkour vs. free-running: There have been arguments on whether or not they are the same thing but parkour focuses on efficiency and free-running is more about freedom and creativity.
> 
> Evergreen City: DC comic-canon city. Located in Washington, US.
> 
> Pike, dash vault, palm spin, wall hop: All slang names for various parkour moves.


End file.
